WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the Withlacoochee, Willacoochee, Alapaha, Little, and Suwannee River watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through education, awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

In the Withlacoochee, Suwannee Basin…

As with the Ochlockonee River basin, rainfall over the last few
months has been well above normal in the Withlacoochee Basin and
upper portion of the Suwannee Basin. Rainfall amounts over the last
five months have been 3 to 5 inches above normal. Rainfall amounts
near normal have occurred in the Middle and Lower Suwannee over the
previous six months. Flows within the upper portion of the
Withlacoochee Basin remain well above normal and on March 1st were
near flood stage in Southern Georgia.

Flows across the Middle and Lower Suwannee are also running above
normal for this time of year, though flood stages have not been met
in this portion of the basin within the last six months. In the
lower portion of the basin, swampy areas and small lakes are nearly
full.

Here is a 90-day graph
from USGS
of river levels in feet at the three
Georgia Withlacoochee River gauges
which shows river levels higher than median much of the time since mid-December:

…Long Term Precipitation Outlook…

The one month precipitation outlook for March indicates a greater
than 40 percent chance of above normal precipitation. This is
supported by numerical model forecasts which suggests the more
energetic pattern experienced in late February will continue into
much of the month of March. The longer range precipitation outlook
features near normal precipitation for the months of April and May.

The potential for heavy rainfall typically decreases after early
April as the region transitions into more of a drier pattern as
influences from frontal systems diminish.

…Spring Flood Outlook Summary…

Taking into account long term ensemble probabilities for
precipitation, recent rainfall, and current stream flows, there is
an above normal potential for river flooding across the region this
spring. This risk is maximized across the eastern half of our
region, which includes portions of the ACF, Ochlockonee, and
Withlacoochee Basins. In these specific basins, there is potential
for a high impact basin-wide flood event this spring should heavier
than normal rainfall occur, as storage capacity in the headwater
portion of these basins is especially low.

Should normal to above normal Spring rainfall amounts materialize,
the continued wet conditions will keep an increased flood risk for
our area rivers moving into hurricane season in June.